Pascal Siakam or Anunoby Addition Would Make Kings Contenders amid NBA Trade Rumors

The Sacramento Kings finally got a taste of NBA success last season while snapping out of their record-setting playoff drought.

They want more of it. Like, a lot more of it.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Kings will "be involved" in trade talks for "every star player. Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, maybe Zach LaVine."

Clearly, the Kings want to make a big swing—as they should. With De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis in their respective primes, the time for Sacramento to push for maximum competitiveness is now.

LaVine wouldn't move the needle much for a club that's loaded with offensive weapons and short on stoppers already, but Siakam or Anunoby would be a game-changer and potentially put the Kings on the periphery of the championship conversation.

Kings Have an Elite Duo in De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis

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SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 29: Domantas Sabonis #10 of the Sacramento Kings talks to teammate De'Aaron Fox #5 during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Golden 1 Center on October 29, 2023 in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

Hop into any debate about the best duos in the Association right now, and it could take a while before you hear any mention of Fox and Sabonis.

It's time for that to change.

Only an ankle injury has been able to stop Fox so far. The speedy point guard has been a thorn in the side of any defense he's faced. He's on pace to post personal-bests in points (29.6), three-pointers (3.4) and three-point percentage (37.5) and a career-low in turnovers (1.9).

Sabonis, meanwhile, is once again ranking among the most productive bigs in the league. In fact, if the campaign closed today, he'd join Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson and Nikola Jokić as the only players ever to average 20 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists, per StatHead Basketball.

Give them the right supporting cast, and they could be the two best players on a very good team—or, if everything breaks right, a great one.

Forward Spots Are the Clear Areas to Upgrade

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SACRAMENTO, CA - OCTOBER 15: Harrison Barnes #40 and Keegan Murray #13 of the Sacramento Kings look on during the game against the Golden State Warriors on October 15, 2023 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2023 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)

So, remember how we just detailed how dominant Fox and Sabonis have been so far?

The Kings haven't capitalized on that dominance the way they could. When those two wildly productive players have shared the floor this season, Sacramento has only outscored its opponents by 2.2 points per 100 possessions, per NBA.com.

That number isn't the fault of the Kings' stars, but rather the role players around them.

The forward positions in particular have been a soft spot. One season after converting 45.3 percent of his field goals and 41.1 percent of his threes as a rookie, Keegan Murray has seen those shooting rates sink to 39 and 28.7, respectively. Harrison Barnes is averaging his fewest points in nearly a decade (11.5, lowest average since 2014-5) and posting his worst three-point percentage since 2017-18 (35.9).

Plug Siakam, a two-time All-Star, or Anunoby, an elite defender who can star in a support role on offense, into this forward rotation (likely at Barnes' expense), and this roster could take off.

Sacramento Has the Assets, Incentive to Get a Major Deal Done

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SACRAMENTO, CA - OCTOBER 14: DeAaron Fox #5 and Head Coach Mike Brown of the Sacramento Kings high five during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers on October 14, 2022 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)

While it's technically possible for either (or both) of Fox or Sabonis to find another gear, the Kings shouldn't bank on that improvement. There's a decent chance this is the best they're going to get, which should up the urgency for Sacramento to capitalize on their peaks.

So, there is a pressing need for an impact addition—even if the Kings remain confident in Murray becoming a really good player (they should), he may not make the jump as quickly as they need—and there's also the assets needed to get a big deal done.

Sacramento owes its upcoming first-round pick (with lottery protection) to the Atlanta Hawks. It has a 2025 second-round pick coming in from the Portland Trail Blazers and a 2030 second-rounder going out to the Indiana Pacers. That's it for draft picks and credits, meaning the Kings could cobble together multiple picks and swaps to help snag a star.

They also have mid-sized salaries to make the money work (Barnes plus Trey Lyles would already get them to $25 million, per Spotrac), and they have some prospect sweeteners to enhance their offer. No, that probably doesn't (and definitely shouldn't) include Murray, but Davion Mitchell might interest a Toronto team without a clear long-term plan at point guard, and Colby Jones offers some three-and-D appeal.

There's absolutely a chance the Kings wind up putting the best offer on the table for one of the Raptors' forwards, and if they do, their odds of embarking on a deep playoff run would exponentially increase.